Meet Our Biologists

Read about some of the ASU biologists who make this site work. We have included profiles about some of our biologists and their research. Check out what they are doing and how they are doing it. Later, if you have any questions, you can submit them to Ask A Biologist using our question submission form.

Crusty Scientist Dishes Dirt on Sonoran Soil

Written by: Jake Harris

Professor Ferran Garcia-Pichel sweats the small stuff. The really, really small stuff to be exact. The easygoing Arizona State University-based microbiologist loves to look beyond the surface to explain what is happening in the tiny world of microbes.
Also in: Español

Detect and Protect

Written by: Tyler Quigley

Knowing when you are sick and what illness you have is the first step to helping your body fight back. Immunologist Douglas Lake gets to design and build tests that can tell us what virus we have, or how well our body is fighting it.

Fighting Back Against Brain Disease

Written by: Christopher Albin-Brooks

Alzheimer's and other brain diseases affect millions of people. Jeffrey Kordower and his colleagues are learning more about these neurodegenerative diseases so that we can try to treat them.

Getting to the Root of Plant Biology

Written by: Gail Maiorana

Some people gaze out at the landscape and see plants. Associate Professor Kathleen Pigg of Arizona State University sees the latest chapter in a long story.

He Knows a Good Egg When He Sees One

Written by: Gail Maiorana

McGaughey (pronounced McGoy) is a researcher at Arizona State University who studies reproduction of mammals. He is a consultant at a hospital, where he is part of a team that implants fertilized eggs into the uterus of women who have not been able to conceive a baby by other methods.

Hot Research

Written by: Mike Butler

Temperature is important to all organisms, including you. Professor Angilletta studies the thermal biology of animals, which means that he investigates how different temperatures affect them.

Hunting for Hidden Viruses

Written by: Ioulia Bespalova

Whether in the sands of the desert or the ice of Antarctica, viruses play a larger role in our ecosystems than you might realize. Arvind Varsani searches for these viruses, studying them in all kinds of habitats across the globe.

Insect Fashion Show

Written by: Kasey Yturralde

If the world of fashion were to choose the most fabulously colored animals they would likely decide upon butterflies and birds. These animal fashion statements are well known to most people, but what is less clear is how and why these bright colors have evolved in the animal world.

Keying in on Keystone Species

Written by: Tracy Johns

Plateau Pikas are one of the 30 species of pika worldwide. All 30 species of pika are similar in appearance. They look like round balls of fluff about 6 inches long with prominent round ears and a small tail hidden under their fur.

Keys to the Coronavirus

Written by: Ioulia Bespalova

Coronaviruses can cause the common cold, or worse infections, like COVID-19. Brenda Hogue studies how these viruses replicate and infect, and uses this information to try to make vaccines and other medicines.

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Meet Our Biologists

Crusty Scientist Dishes Dirt on Sonoran Soil

Detect and Protect

Fighting Back Against Brain Disease

Getting to the Root of Plant Biology

He Knows a Good Egg When He Sees One

Hot Research

Hunting for Hidden Viruses

Insect Fashion Show

Keying in on Keystone Species

Keys to the Coronavirus

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Meet Our Biologists

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